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Discuss the theme of love in Romeo and Juliet

Remember to start the essay with a strong introduction. Your introduction should capture the reader's attention and highlight the key points that your essay will discuss.
Each point should be given its own paragraph and expanded on using the PEE structure (Point, Evidence, Explanation) or the PEEL structure (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link).
The theme of love dominates Romeo and Juliet and is presented by Shakespeare in different ways. Therefore, you can focus on various aspects of the play such as the emotions connected to the theme of love, the different types of love depicted in the play or the consequences of different relationships that are formed in the play.
Types of love depicted in the play:
-> Puppy love: Romeo's 'love for Rosaline (Is he infatuated by her/ obsessed with the idea of her) or Paris' 'love' for Juliet (He doesn't show any deep feelings for her)
->Love between friends: Juliet and her nurse/ The Friar and Romeo/ The friendships of Mercutio, Benvolio and Romeo
->Classic idea of romantic love: Romeo and Juliet (They are idealistic, intense and passionate)
Love is seen as a powerful force in the play. It drives Romeo and Juliet to defy their feuding families and end their lives in a double suicide. The connection between love and violence would also be a strong point to include in the essay. You could discuss the implications of the violent and tragic ending and how it encourages the two families to resolve their feud.
End the essay with a memorable conclusion bringing together all the ideas that have been discussed in the essay. The conclusion should also connect these ideas back to the title to reinforce that you have understood the question.

Answered by
Ceara H.

Studies BA English and History at Queen's, Belfast

What's the difference between explicit and implicit meaning?

Explicit = obvious meaning. Implicit = unobvious meaning. So if something was explicit in a text, it means that the information is clearly stated for you. E.g. Josh was wearing a blue, woolly hat yesterday morning. The colour of his hat is explicit information that we have learnt. However, implicit information is what we are not told but we can guess. E.g. Josh was wearing a blue, woolly hat yesterday morning. We could guess that it was cold yesterday morning because Josh is wearing a blue, woolly hat. The sentence doesn't tell us this information directly, but we know that when it's cold, people often wear warm, woolly hats. So explicit is something we KNOW, implicit is something that is SUGGESTED.

Use the text as inspiration for a story based on the idea of exploring.

The question may ask to write based on the comprehension text or on a separate picture/text, so read carefully. Try to keep the theme of the story close to the original, but not the plot to show that you've understood the text and aren't just rewriting it in different words. Use language to build the genre, so for a story on exploring try to create tension through descriptions of the scene, maybe with foreshadowing of what's about to happen. Punctuation such as ellipses can help to build up to the final discovery. Try not to overuse techniques like these though because they can be distracting from the plot. Your story also doesn't need to be like a novel with a beginning, middle and end, but make sure to introduce the characters, show some action, and have a clear ending (perhaps the moment something interesting is discovered while exploring, or the end of an exploration).

Answered by
Annabel G.

Studies Chinese and Linguistics at Leeds

How do I go about approaching the unseen poem in the exam?

Firstly, make sure you re-read and have understood the question! This will give you an idea of what ideas and themes to look out for. Read the poem several times and mentally address these questions as you go: what is the form of the poem? (eg sonnet, ballad etc - make sure you can recognise these) what is the tone of the poem? is there a rhyme or rhythm structure? does it change at any point (this will be significant)? what kind of poetic techniques can you notice? (eg repetition, enjambment etc) what effects do these techniques have, especially on how it portrays the theme? After you have read the poem several times and made notes of all these things, then you can begin to plan your essay. Try to have around 3 or 4 main points and write paragraph headings for your plan. After you've noticed all these things about the poem and made your plan then you will be ready to start analysing it for a high-quality essay

How should I start analysing a poem?

Begin by reading the poem all the way through. How does it sound in your head? Listen for alliteration, assonance, dissonance. Where is it smooth and where is it jarring? Think about the stresses of the words. Can you hear a rhythm? If you can, look where the stresses fall. Is the rhythm consistent or is it broken up? Look at the lines. Are they regular or irregular? Do they end on full stops and commas, or do they run over into each other (enjambment)? Listen for rhyme, not just at the ends of the lines but within them. Are the rhymes whole rhymes or half rhymes? Is the rhyme scheme regular or disrupted? Look at the shape of the poem. How does it look on the page? Are there any sections which look or sound similar?
Now you have an impression of the sound and shape of the poem, think about the meaning. What do you think the poet is writing about? Does the sound and shape of the poem match the subject matter, or are they conflicting? Does this poem feel like any other poems you have read?

Do I need to memorise lots of quotations for my AQA English exam?

For your AQA English exam, you are assessed on four key categories. Each of these categories is called an ‘Assessment Objective’ - an AO. The first of these AOs, AO1, is to ‘read, understand and respond to texts’. The examiner wants you to do this firstly by having your own interpretation of the text, and secondly by using references to the text to back this up. You should always include a reference to the text in any answer, although this does not necessarily need to be a quotation. For example, if you are asserting that Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as an extremely powerful woman, you might then reference a moment in which she exerts power over Macbeth, and how this event demonstrates her dominance in comparison to a male. Alternatively, you could discuss the quotation ‘unsex me here’, and how it reveals her desire to be a powerful individual regardless of gender, rather than a powerful woman. The examiner wants to see how you have formed your opinions based on the text. Try to include a handful of quotations in your answer, but don’t worry if you can only remember an event - it’s best to back up your answer than not back it up at all! If you are aiming for a particularly good mark, try to combine AO1 with AO2. AO2 wants you to 'Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ It will be very impressive to the examiner if you can analyse the language, form, and structure of your quotation to back up your point. For the ‘unsex me here’ example, you could say that the iambic pentameter creates harsh stresses on each words, adding a force and power to her dialogue.